‘Tis the Season!

So this year, considering I am no longer in the North Penn district in all reality, I had a loooong-relaxing holiday.

In all honesty, this Christmas season hardly felt like Christmastime to me. Throughout December I kept waiting for that moment where it would finally feel like Christmas was coming. Although this holiday is home to the Germans, the Christmas music and obligatory holiday films were scarce, the decorations very IKEA-esque, and I couldn’t get into the mindset. I was pretty upset, it being my favorite time of the year and all. My aunt who had previously lived in Germany mentioned that Christmas over here is not so commercial as in America, and that seems to be the most accurate description. Not a bad thing at all, just not what I’m used to. It’s a peaceful, family time. But luckily, finally, on Heilige Abend/Christmas Eve, that feeling came.  After a pretty uneventful morning of sprucing up the house, and after the Tannenbaum was up, we walked to the small church down the road. It wasn’t the service I had hoped for, being somewhat general and un-christmassy. But that didn’t get me down. Walking home, the stars were bright, I always notice the stars, and I’ll miss the way they shine over here.

Once home again, we settled down to an intimate supper, cooked by my host ‘papa’ who has yet to make a bad meal. This wasn’t your typical German, American, or any culture Christmas Eve dish, but more of a comfort meal. Schnitzel and French Fries, that is. Schnitzel is pork meat, fried in egg and dough batter. If you ask me, it tastes like chicken, but very classy, tasteful chicken. And throw in the stereotypical Kartoffelsalat too; these Germans are serious about potatoes. Desert was a traditional Tiramisu.

After supper we waited, with the door to the living room shut as presents were being ‘delivered.’ I did protest, saying that presents are to be opened on Christmas morning, not Christmas Eve, but my vote was overruled for my year of all German traditions. We had it all, singing, fire, gift-giving, embracing one another, opening, playing, general happiness. The only flaw to this Christmas celebration is that after all the excitement we had to settle ourselves down for bed right after.

On Christmas morning, I received a letter from Santa, which left me feeling quite loved. Make fun of me, but I’m really just a little girl at heart. I have a very special host sister to thank for thinking of me, and how it wasn’t easy to share a family holiday and something very traditional to me with a new lifestyle. For lunch some of the family members came over for a gut-stuffing meal of everything edible. I missed my big crazy extended family that day, but I didn’t get too upset or homesick like I thought I might, because I was still surrounded with great people.

The 26^th, ‘second Christmas day’, as the Germans call it, but it’s not like they even open their presents the morning of, so why give it such a misleading title? Anway, we ate lunch at Oma Hildagard’s; the one lady whose cooking could arguably be better than my host dad’s, but only because she must have kept a few tricks to herself. We always eat very traditional Schwäbisch dishes, also always tasty.

At midnight on my 17^th birthday, my host mom split a Seckt, or sparkling wine with me, which I found completely ironic, but hey, here it’s apparently what you do, can’t argue. I did not make many plans for the day, because I like to procrastinate with my birthday every year, plus I don’t like the idea of getting older. Luckily my friends saved the day, and they all surprised me by coming over and eating cheese fondue and watching James Bond together. I couldn’t have planned it out better myself.

Another day we made it down to the German/Austrian border for skiing, it was a dream come true. Weather conditions weren’t perfect, but I’ll take the Alps any day over the Poconos Mountains. I even decided to get back into skiing instead of snowboarding, and got lessons by a quintessential Austrian named Sven. At least I think that was his name, it fits better in my memory so I’m going to keep it like that.

New year’s eve, or Sylvester, we went to a party of a family friend, who just so happens to be the pastor at that local church down the street. Again, it was a fun but ironic time, partying and dancing to awful music in a church, but that makes the memory all the better. Right before midnight, two friends and I ran up the street, where almost all of Aalen is visible. We stood there counting down, and at 0.00, the skyline lit up with firecrackers. It was a scene that my camera could do no justice too, and almost better than Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s on the tele.

The rest of the holiday was pretty much laziness, but much needed at that.

Earlier this month I was also invited to swim in the SC Delphin Neujahrschwimm, my host family’s swim team’s local meet. I’m no swimmer, and don’t think I enjoy it enough to ever become one, but I’m glad I participated. But mostly grateful I didn’t have to swim Butterfly or any 100/200 meters. I also got first place in everything, including the family swim alongside Family König, glad I didn’t let the returning champs down.

And for now, I’ve been busy with schoolwork, trying to ace that pain in the arse German grammar, fretting about senior year, and trying to enjoy the rest of my time here. It really does go fast. I already have my home date set, the 25^th of July. A lot later than I had planned, but still sooner than I may be ready. ‘Til then, ‘Merica.

Advent

The last few weeks flew by, and considering that it was also Advent, they went really fast. After our trip to Berlin, I insisted on having a Turkey dinner one night, in celebration of Thanksgiving. It ended up pretty darn good for being the first time my family had even seen a turkey, (Truthahn) let alone prepare it. I got most of the staple traditional foods in, and it was just as good as being home. (And major thanks to my uncle for giving me some pointers.)

December was great; we had two consecutive weeks of snow, which added up to about 1 meter of pure white goodness. I did learn though that here in Germany, where there are no yellow school busses responsible for getting the kiddies to school, that even when there are blizzard conditions outside, you are expected to be at school on time. No snow days, no exceptions.  This made for some memorable, icy, and chilly hour long walks to school, all to be awarded with dripping wet coats and scarves to lug around all day. On the plus side I got to rent a snowboard for a long weekend, and successfully make a fool of myself on the T-bar lifts at the local ski slopes. Embarrassing, but I’m not complaining.

On the first I went for a day trip to Strasbourg, France with the school. Strasbourg has one of the biggest Christmas markets, and is nick-named the ‘Capitale de Nöel.’ It was freezing but wonderful, and I ate a heavenly warm Nutella crêpe. Strasbourg, in the Alsace, was once Germany, as one could note from the architecture and name, but it still holds a very french flair, and as the capital of the European Parliament, I also got the feel that it is a cultured town.  It happens to have a little bit of money too, which is evident when  you look at the shopping district.

On the sixth of December we had a friendly visitor from lil’ St. Nick, or better known to the German Kinder as Saint Nikolaus. We all cleaned our rooms and laid out pretty plates for St. Nickolaus to stop by with sweets and small presents. I would say it was about equal to getting our stocking stuffers a little early. Another big event at Christmastime is the Advent calendar, and not just the chocolate-a-day cardboard box bought from the drugstore, but one with little gifts every day, rotating between my host sisters and me.

I also went with a friend to an ‘Abschlussball’ one night, which is a graduation from the dance school in partnership with the secondary schools in our area. It was quite interesting, in all honesty. Much cleaner than any prom or ball in America, everyone was incredibly formal and jived or tangoed or waltzed around. Everyone asked me how long and where I had my ballroom dancing lessons; I had to respond with not even knowing that such dance schools even existed, which was then proven when I tried to dance.

An interesting week this month was when the exchange students from Nîmes in the South of France were in town. Since I will be going to Nîmes for a week in June, I was invited to go with the group on a few day trips, including the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Christmas markets, and a few other local destinations. I am, after all, an exchange student too. This week taught me two things: I am happy to be in Germany, because maybe it was just this group of kids, but I don’t think I’m really compatible with the French. Nothing against them, I just don’t understand them. The other thing is that I’m feeling really confident with my German, and my French is unfortunately awful. But considering I took German lessons as long as these students have, and I live much farther away from Germany than they do, I was kicking some butt. The most I heard them say was ‘Guten Tag’, with a timid little accent. My German classmates also have amazing French, so that helped a lot with translation.

We spent the rest of our time baking Plätzchen, Gebrannte Mandeln, and other German Christmas delicacies, swimming, and cramming in studying for tests before the holiday break.

And finally, Christmas. Posting the christmabirthdaynewyear festivities after it’s all over and done with, it’s the first thing on my list!

Happy Holidays!